Mercenaries: The Beginnings Chapter 1
by Twister
Summary: R rating is for future chapters (possibly).


1

Mercenaries   
Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the events that lead up to the Star Wars: Mercenaries stories that I wrote in my previous incarnation (TFCManiac) and will rewrite in this persona. This is chapter 1. See the bottom for my authors notes. Enjoy!**

**_Twister_**

**Disclaimer: All of the characters are mine, but most of the rest belongs to Mr. George Lucas.**   
  


The two Z-95 Headhunters zoomed through space, performing maneuvers that could, at best, be called dangerous, in the hope that one of them could get a good shot at the other. Gent Jerrold, one of the pilots, gritted his teeth as his ship went through a twisting split-S, as wildly aimed laser beams from the other ship blasted past harmlessly. Unfortunately, the move allowed Gent's opponent to get on his tail. Inverting, Gent tried to brake and do a tight loop, but the other pilot was ready and slowed down in response. Gent felt the ship shake as multiple lasers hit him, then penetrated his shields and blasted apart his ship.   
The screen in front of Gent faded to black, and he laughed. "Next time, Bult. Next time."   
"Somehow I doubt that," came the reply.   
The canopy of Gent's 'fighter' rose, revealing a bay full of simulator pods. Gent unstrapped himself, then rose and stepped onto the metal deck of the ship that he was on. Gent was 16 years old, with short brown hair and hazel eyes leaning towards green. He was wearing an old flight suit of his fathers, dark green and baggy.   
"Beat you again, Jerrold!"   
Gent turned to see a tall, muscled young man with black hair and eyes walking towards him. "Yeah, you beat me. You're also three years older than me."   
"But you have your precious daddy helping you," Bult replied in a teasing tone.   
"At least my father can do something useful. All your father can do is drink," Gent said nonchalantly.   
Bult launched himself at him, but Gent dived forward and flipped him onto his back. They would have gotten into a fight, but just then a figure interposed herself between the two. "Stop it. Now."   
Gent got up and stood beside her. "Don't ever make fun of my father again, Bult."   
Bult got up menacingly. "Next time your little friend won't be here to help you. I'll make sure of it." With a final scowl at both of them, Bult walked away.   
Gent breathed out inaudibly. "Thanks, Inrisa."   
The young woman relaxed visibly as well. "No problem." Inrisa Solea was also 16, tall for her age with shimmering brown hair and water-blue eyes. Inrisa was the only person close to Gent's age on the ship, and they had been friends since Inrisa's mother and father joined the mercenary organization twelve years ago. Inrisa's parents had died when she was 14, and after that Gent and Inrisa had become nearly inseparable.   
Gent looked around. "You know where my father is?"   
Inrisa shrugged. "Haven't seen him around. Is he on his shift?"   
"No. He's probably in his quarters. Come on."   
They walked through the metal corridors of the ship that had been their home all their lives, idly chatting as they went. They were still a few minutes away from reaching their destination when Gent's comlink beeped. Gent took it from his belt and turned it on. "Yes?"   
Gent's father's voice came through clearly. "Gent, is Inrisa with you?"   
"I'm here," Inrisa called from beside Gent.   
"I want you two to come to my quarters." His voice sounded grave. "I have some important information about Inrisa."   
Looking bewildered, Inrisa motioned to Gent and the two ran the last few hundred meters. Gent hit the door open button. As they went in, Gent noticed that the room was in total disarray, belongings flung everywhere. Gent and Inrisa glanced at each other and both drew their blasters. Going through the doorway, Gent heard the sound of the safety being snapped off on a blaster rifle. A raspy voice came from behind them.   
"Safety your weapons and put them on the ground next to your feet."   
Inrisa looked at Gent, and he nodded. They both whirled around, tracking and firing their blasters into the shadows. A grunt came from the recess by the door, and they saw a figure clutching his stomach, and raising his blaster rifle. For Gent, everything went in slow motion. The figure aiming his blaster rifle at him, triggering a shot. Inrisa's return shot coming a split second too late. The bolt coming in at him. The figure collapsing, a second wound in his chest. The bolt burning into his left shoulder. The smell of singed clothing and charred flesh. The pain as he fell to the ground and into oblivion. 

Gent woke up slowly, feeling like his body had been shaken out thoroughly by a large Wookie. He opened his eyes and relaxed as he realized that he was in the medical bay of the ship. He stirred, trying to sit up. He heard footsteps, then a nurse appeared and gently pushed him down. "Don't try to get up, sir."   
Gent sighed and laid back down. "All right. How long until I'm outta here?"   
"Your last bacta treatment is in 30 minutes," the nurse replied. "Oh, and there's someone to see you."   
The door opened and Inrisa, a somber expression on her face, came in. She managed a weak smile as she looked at him. "Hey, Gent."   
"What's wrong, Inrisa?"   
"It's your father, Gent," Inrisa blurted out before she could stop herself.   
Gent heard the panic and sadness in her voice and felt a sense of doom enclosing his heart. "What? What about him?" He asked frantically.   
Inrisa looked up at the nurse, who nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Inrisa reached out and took his hand. "Gent, they...they found...him. Dead."   
Gent felt the sense of doom squeezing his heart dry. "No...no...it can't be..."   
Inrisa nodded, unsuccessfully fighting back tears. "Yes...I'm so sorry..."   
Gent was overwhelmed. He couldn't focus on anything. His father dead. His last bit of family, his best friend...gone. He couldn't believe it, yet here was Inrisa, telling him differently.   
They sat there and talked and cried for the next half hour, then the nurse came back in and drugged him, so, mercifully, he wouldn't have to be awake for the bacta tank... 

As soon as Gent woke up, he knew one thing: that he couldn't stay on the ship. Everything that was there would only remind him of his father. When the nurse came in to check up on him, Gent asked for Inrisa. A minute later, she walked in, still very downcast. "You look better," she said in fake pleasant tones.   
Gent almost smiled. "You shouldn't try to do that with me. I know you too well."   
"Sorry."   
Gent took a deep breath. "Look, I've decided something. I'm not going to stay here. It would just be too painful for me."   
Inrisa nodded. "I understand, but I want you to know one thing."   
"What?"   
"I'm coming with you."   
"Inrisa, you can't."   
"Why not? She straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "Look, since my parents died, your father has been like my father. I have just as much pain as you do. Plus the fact that two people sharing pain is much easier then bearing it alone. Plus..." She hesitated.   
"What?"   
Inrisa quirked a smile. "I care about you, Gent. You're all that I have left. The truth is, I don't know how _I_ would survive here, either. So we're going together."   
Gent smiled and nodded slightly. "All right." 

Inrisa flipped a switch in the cockpit of the _Star Ranger_, hearing the reassuring hum of engines revving up _. _The medium-sized freighter had been given to them by an old friend of Gent's dad, and was a pretty good ship. About 40 meters long, she sported two turbolasers along with four quads set equally apart on the cylindrical part of its hull. As the ship brought itself online, Inrisa let her mind wander. She thought about her parents, and how they had died. Then she felt that same feeling she felt every time she thought of her parents. That there was something hidden in her, something that would not reveal itself...   
Her thoughts were interrupted by a beep from the control console signifying that they were ready to take off. Inrisa told the ship to stay in ready mode, and went back to the lounge area. Gent was sitting on one of the two facing couches in the middle of the room, staring off into space. She had seen him do this many times as they were preparing to leave, and was worried that he might break down in the worst time.   
"Gent," she called softly. "We're ready to take off."   
Gent suddenly seemed to break out of the trancelike state. Shaking his head to clear it, he stood up and composed himself. "All right," he said firmly, as if he was trying to convince himself that he was ready. "Let's go."   
They went to the cockpit and lifted off from the docking bay. Sailing away from the ship, they prepared for the jump to hyperspace, their escape from Gent's father's death. Gent checked the coordinates, then sat back and tried to untense his muscles. "Inrisa, are we clear to hyperspace?"   
"Ye...wait a second. We have unidentified craft directly in our path! Looks like a custom job. Starfighter size, no markings."   
"How far?"   
"Ten clicks. Just one so far...wait! Eleven more jumping in!"   
"Great. A full squadron." Gent leaned forward and activated the weapons. The computers would now automatically aim and fire at any enemy craft that got within range.   
Inrisa shot a glance at the range sensor. "Almost here. Ready?"   
In response, Gent revved the engines up to full, clearly suprising the ships. They fired at the _Star Ranger_, but all of their shots were behind the ship. Meanwhile, the _Star Ranger_'s weapondry wrecked havoc on the formation. Three of the enemies were destroyed outright, and two more were disabled. The remaining seven made a tight turn and came up behind the _Ranger_. Before Gent could twist the ship around, the fighters fired and hit, scoring a solid hit on the shields.   
In the cockpit, Inrisa winced. "Shields at 37 percent," she reported. "Those lasers are strong!"   
Gent turned the ship into a fast split-S, but the other ships stayed with him and fired again. This time the blasts got through the shields. Sparks flew from one of the consoles, and the ship rocked enough to send both Gent and Inrisa to the floor. They scrambled back to their seats. "We need to go to hyperspace, now!"   
Inrisa started to answer, but another blast threw her from her seat. On the way down, her head hit the side of the cockpit and she collapsed.   
Gent rushed out of his seat and knelt, shaking her. "Inrisa? Answ..."   
Another shot from the fighters rocked the ship and Gent was knocked on his back. He rolled over, got up, and reached towards the control board. Yet another blast hit the ship, and alarms went off in the distance. Gent's entire world focused on the hyperspace lever. He lunged for it, wildly hoping he could get there before the attackers shot again... 

**A/N: The _Star Ranger _is basically a smaller version of the Corellian Gunship, for people who have played the game Star Wars: Rebellion. For people who haven't, the ship is kind of like a cylinder that tapers off as you go forward. There are three "compartments", seperated by smaller cylinders. The design is different from the Corellian Gunship, though, and someday I'll get around to making some blueprints for it. Any other questions can be sent to twister_fanfic@hotmail.com. Any reviews can be put in the box below. Thanks!**


End file.
